Tag Archives: lobby

On Saturday, April 25, Arkansas Repertory Theatre supporters will come together to celebrate the state’s largest nonprofit professional theatre company at ArtWorks XXVII, a silent and live art auction. The silent auction will begin at 6:30 p.m. and the live auction will begin at 7:30 p.m.

This fast-paced event features both a silent and live auction featuring work by more than 90 of central Arkansas’ most talented artists and artisans. Auction pieces include pottery, watercolor, acrylic, photography, sculpture, jewelry and more.

Guest emcees will take the stage throughout the evening to auction off artwork in the live auction in The Rep’s Main Lobby. This year’s celebrity emcees include: Lance Restum, Arkansas Travelers Marketing Director; The Honorable Buddy Villines, Retired Pulaski County Judge; Bill Tsutsui, Hendrix College President and The Rep Board Member; Dawn Scott, THV11 Anchor; Alan Leverett, Arkansas Times Publisher; Pamela Smith, Little Rock School District Marketing Director; Renee Shapiro, KATV Saturday Morning Daybreak Co-Host; Lisa Fischer, Co-Host of Jeff and Lisa on B98.5FM; Alan Rail, Lead IT Specialist at sponsor Southwest Power Pool; Charlie Coleman, Attorney at sponsor Wright Lindsey and Jennings LLP and The Rep Board Member; and Bob Hupp, The Rep Producing Artistic Director.

Guests will enjoy live music, beer and wine, and heavy hors d’oeuvres provided by Sufficient Grounds, RSVP Catering, Three Fold Noodles and Dumpling Co., Southern Gourmasian and BRAVO! Cucina Italiana. Read about what they’ll be serving up at the event on Inviting Arkansas’ blog here!

All artists who make a donation to ArtWorks are given the opportunity to display their pieces in The Rep lobby throughout The Rep’s MainStage Season. The art displayed in The Rep’s lobbies throughout the season are available for purchase with proceeds from gallery sales going directly to artists. Proceeds from donated art sold at ArtWorks supports Arkansas Repertory Theatre’s general operating budget.

Get a look at one of our longtime volunteers and participating artists here.

Tickets to ArtWorks cost $50 and can be purchased online at www.therep.org or by contacting Ronda Lewis at (501) 378-0445 ext. 203. Get more information here.

Walking into Arkansas Repertory Theatre’s lobby this holiday season is like stepping into the Christmas wonderland Buddy the Elf created in Gimbels in “Elf” the movie.

From paper trains, snowflakes and oversized elf stockings hung up on the ceiling with care, accompanied with large candies and peppermint sticks, to wrapped presents stacked high and peppermint trees atop each table, it is truly a festive scene here at The Rep.

Decorations were created by the theatre’s Stagehands group, whose mission is to welcome and provide hospitality to The Rep’s visiting actors, directors and technical crew. With her vast interior design experience, Penny Beebe led the festive project that took over the lobby.

“When [the Stagehands] asked me if I was interested in doing decorations, I jumped on it,” Beebe said.

With just 10 days, there was not much time to create such a decorative space that would be suitable for Elf audiences, but along with several of the other Stagehands, they were able to create a one-of-a-kind scene that Buddy the Elf, himself, would approve of!

“When I saw the lobby area [and] saw the scale of it, [I knew] we need something big hanging from the ceiling,” Beebe said.

Enter the oversized elf stockings. The idea for these festive pieces came to Beebe at 2 a.m. one night, she said. Right then, she began cutting the felt for all of the stockings and started stuffing them all. Next up were the paper trains, snowflakes and the super-cute peppermint sticks, which Beebe said were made from old pool noodles (you know, the ones you use in the pool during the summer!).

“I had old pool noodles, so I took those, halfed them and found peppermint wrapping paper,” Beebe said.

If you haven’t seen the lobby firsthand, check it out before Elf‘s run ends on Jan. 4. While the remaining performances are sold out, there are 10 Standing Room Only seats at $40 apiece for each sold-out show. Just visit the Box Office an hour before curtain time to get a voucher. Get more information by calling (501) 378-0405 or by visiting TheRep.org.